Hey there!
So today’s post is about freebies/cheapies. I put two outfits together that I personally really like. However, on my journey on the search for freebies I encountered a very, very strange attitude among many designers.
Lets start with:
What are usually the reasons to offer a gift/freebie/cheapie/luckyboard etc.?
I can think of the following ones:
1. To attract traffic (luckyboards etc.)
2. To thank your customers (groupgifts etc.)
3. To attract potential new customers.
4. To be kind to people with less money.
5. To increase the number of people in your storegroup.
6. To advertise for yourself.
What message do stores with bad gifts try to send?
So, if these are the reasons I can immediately think of, how come so many BIG stores, wellknown ones, offer crappy shit as gifts? I am aware that beggars cannot be choosers. But are your customers truly no more worth than one old, sculpted item from 2010 or even earlier? What kind of message arey ou trying to send out by offering a gift that feels like a slap in the face.
“Here, look at my shitty gift, but all my other items in the store are really awesome. Too bad you have to pay for them! I am sorry, but despite being a customer here, you are just not worth much more to us.”
I hope not. But sorry, that’s how I perceive it. If you cannot be bothered to come up with a NICE gift, better do not bother at all. I really feel like an idiot when I come to a store that offers good stuff, and their gift is some random crap. It is NOT good advertisement for your store. It makes you look like a greedy, selfish person.
How to impress?
If you want to leave a good impression, attract potential customers, if you want to appear kind and generous to people with less money – then offer GOOD gifts. Put some effort into them. I can create a leather string, put some spheres on it, tag it as a bracelets and call it a day myself. That’s no effort. Rather offer a GREAT groupgift once a year than 12 crappy gifts.
People will love you, they wil be thankful and will spread the word. There is a reason why certain stores get flooded by people once they release their annual/monthly gift, and there is a reason why some stores hardly get recognized for their gifts at all. People appreciate effort, they appreciate to be implicitely told “We like our customers a lot.”. No one tells others about that crap groupgift you offer, but once you put up something awesome, word spreads like wildfire.
There are a few wellknown stores who always stood out prominently to me for their awesome gifts, even if those are rare:
Mother’s Goose (Luckyboards/gift section)
Curio (annual groupgift)
LaQ (annual groupgift)
LeLutka (annual Subscribo)
Belleza (groupgifts/FLF)
Analog Dog (freebie balls, gift section)
Truth (annual subscribo)
Tokidoki (groupgifts, several/year)
World’s End Garden (gift section)
Coco Designs (crazy big giftsection)
Sn@tch (Lucky Boards)
The Plastik (Luckyboards, groupgifts/annual gifts)
Mr. Poet (Luckyboards, gifts)
Miel (Subscribo Gifts)
Maitreya (Subscribo)
S@bbia (luckyboards, gifts)
Cold Logic (groupgift/subscribo)
Pink Fuel (Many, many hunts)
Glam Affair (hunts, groupgifts)
Essences (hunts, groupgift)
D!va (groupgifts)
Iren (gifts, fabfree gift)
AlVulo (monthly groupgift)
I am sure there are more which I forgot. But yes, these stores aren’t greedy asses who try to mark random crap as a gift.
So, here are two outfits made up of freebies and cheapies that I personally really like. I present them on my freebie-alt, not on Arica. PS: I took this picture at 5 am. I apologize for the little mistakes. -.-
Hair: Analog Dog (Queue Marlow, FREE! @ NW corner of the sim in a bubble)
Skin: Mother’s Goose (Milok Hermit, FREE! Luckyboard)
Dress: World’s End Garden (Lucia Genesis, FREE! @ giftsection)
Shoes: Roly-Poly (Licht Lapis, FREE! @ Marketplace)
Wreadth: World’s End Garden (Lucia Genesis, FREE! @ giftsection)
Necklace: Miel (Mika Nieuport, FREE! @ Subscribo)
Bracelets: On a Lark ( Discovering Destiny, part of GRACE outfit, 30L @ 30L Saturdays)
Pose: Gesticulate (Elusyve Jewell, FREE!@ Fabfree Headquarters)
Location: World’s End Garden (Non-Role-Play), Worlds End Garden
Hair: LeLutka (Thora Charron, FREE! groupgift in store)
Skin: Belleza (Tricky Boucher, FREE! @ Cynful Clothing Birthday Celebration)
Make Up: Kosh (Lynaja Bade, FREE! @ Make Up section, uy the DEMOS, it is in there! ;D)
Dress: Ikshu (Pippala Resident, FREE! @ groupgift in store)
Boots: The Lounge (Erielle Deschanel, 50 L @ WE LOVE ROLE-PLAY!!)
Gloves: Evie’s Closet (Evangeline Miles, part of Halloween Fable outfit, FREE! @ World Goth Faire!)
Scarf: Mr. Poet (Hiwinyu Fazuku, FREE! @ giftsection in store)
Ring: Sn@tch (Ivey Deschanel, FREE! @ @ World Goth Faire!)
Bracelet: Just You Jewels (Clyde Avon, DOLLARBIE!! @ giftsection in store)
Pose: Tram (Moca Loup, FREE! groupgift in store)
Location: Winter Moon (Non-Role-Play), Winter Moon
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The pictures have been shot at the event location, too! 
